Container and closure cap combination



Nov. 9, 1965 J. R. DREPS 3,216,600

CONTAINER AND CLOSURE GAP COMBINATION Filed Nov. 12, 1963 INVENTOR.JAMES R.DREPS IATILORNEYS United States Patent 3,216,600 CONTAINER ANDCLOSURE CAP COMBINATIQN James R. Dreps, Toledo, Ohio, assignor toOwens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 12, 1963,Ser. No. 323,014 6 Claims. (Cl. 21540) This invention relates generallyto a container and closure cap combination and more particularly to acontainer and closure cap combination provided with screw threadformations which will insure proper registry of surface decorationapplied to the container and closure cap.

It is common practice to place decorative matter upon the closure captop and skirt and upon the body of the container. In many instances, itis most desirable, at least from an esthetic viewpoint, to align theseapplied decorations. The decoration may comprise, for example, a face ofan individual or a head applied to both the cap skirt and container bodyin such fashion that when the cap finally seals the container, theseelements preferably should be so relatively positioned that the faces onthe skirt and body are longitudinally aligned. This registrationnecessitates terminating rotation of the closure cap at a predeterminedpoint during application to the container in order that proper alignmentis obtained. In view of the fact that both caps and containersfrequently depart from specified dimensions as to height, etc., it isapparent that some difiiculty might be experienced in creating ahermetic seal, while at the same time insuring proper registry of thedecorations. Such might easily arise from registration of the decorativematter prior to the application of sufficient torque to the cap toadequately compress the sealing gasket or ring. Alternatively, undersome conditions, such registration might require suflicient cap rotationto seriously distort or perhaps actually break the closure cap which isformed of a plastic material.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a directionalclosure cap and container combination wherein both accurate registrationof decorative matter on the closure cap and container and reliablesealing are obtained.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a closure cap andcontainer combination formed with matching screw threads so arranged asto stop cap rotation during cap application, with the decorative matterproperly aligned.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a package of theabove character in which the closure cap is provided with a sealinggasket incorporating an axially flexible peripheral portion capable ofoccupying any of a number of different positions and creating aneffective seal in any of such positions. Thus, my invention compensatesfor allowable dimensional variations or tolerances in the container andclosure cap and also insures both an effective hermetic seal andregistration of the decorative matter.

These and other objects will be apparent from reading of the followingdetailed description, taken in conjunction with the following drawingwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a package incorporating my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the closure cap andcontainer combination of my invention preparatory to threading theclosure cap onto the container;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but with the closure cap andbottle in sealing relationship;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of a container neck accordingto my invention;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a closure cap with the screw-threadformed in accordance with my invention; and

ice

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the closure cap and sealinggasket of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral 10 denotes a containersuch as a glass bottle having an exteriorly screw-threaded neck 11terminating in an annular mouth-defining rim 12 which provides a sealingsurface for contact with sealing means, as will be hereinafterexplained. The screw-thread 13 is a single-turn thread of conventionalform with the exception that the starting or entrance end 14 may well berelatively blunt to create a stop for engagement with the closed end 15of the thread 16 of the closure cap 17. The closure cap 17 comprises atop panel portion 18 and a depending attaching skirt 19, having formedinternally thereof the screw-thread 16, having a closed end or stop 15.By-properly positioning the stop-forming ends 14 and 15 of thescrew-threads 13 and 16 relative to the arrows shown on the bottle andcap, one is assured that these arrows will be relatively alignedincident to completion of the cap-applying operation. These arrows, itshould be understood, may be any pre ferred form of surface decoration.For example, each arrow shown may instead be the representation of ahuman head or face or perhaps a component part of a unit design which isto be completed by proper final relative positioning of the cap andbottle.

Because of allowable tolerances in both glassand cap dimensions, itwould be possible, withconventionalsealing means, that the cap fullyapplied would align with the design elements, and a hermetic seal couldnot be obtained because of insufficient compression of the sealingmeans. Alternatively, the dimensions might be such that the sealing ringwould be excessively compressed and the closure cap broken before thedesign elements became aligned. Accordingly, the closure cap 17, andsealing means are formed to insure proper sealing. The cap is formedwith an internal annular channel 29 in the panel 18, spaced inwardlyfrom the skirt 19 of the cap 17 and adapted to overlie the rim 12 of thebottle 11 when the cap is applied onto the bottle 10. The channel 29 isof greater width than the rim 12 and is defined at its inner margin by awall 20 having a sloping inner side 21. This wall 20 also creates acentral recess 22 to accommodate a hollow button-like portion 23 of thegasket or sealing element 24. The annular wall 27 of the button 23 isdimensioned to provide firm frictional contact with the wall 20 of thechannel 19 and thereby retain the gasket 24 within the closure cap 17.As shown in FIGURE 6, the wall 20 may have an undercut 25 to moresecurely engage the wall 27 of the button 23.

Extending radially of the annular wall 27 of the gasket 24 is a radialflange portion 26 which when the closure cap 17 and gasket 24 areassembled lies in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the cap.

Threading of the cap 17 onto the bottle 10 deforms the flange portion 26by forcing the same upwardly in the direction of the underside of thetop panel portion 18 of the cap and into the annular channel 29. Theflange portion 26 is forced into channel 29 by being brought intocontact with the rim of the bottle 10. The flexibility of the flange 26causes the same to remain in sealing contact with the rim 12 and therebysealing the bottle 10 irrespective of the degree of rotation of the capon the bottle.

It will be apparent that rotation of cap 17 on the neck 11 of the bottlewill continue until stopped by the ends 14 and 15 of the threads 13 and16. Since the ends 14 and 15 were positioned to insure alignment of thedecoration upon rotation of the cap when the flange 26 will have beenbrought into sealing contact with the rim 12. The gasket 24 may beformed of any suitable resilient material such as polyethylene. Theclosure cap 17 may be formed of any desirable material such asthermoplastic or thermosetting resins and various metals.

The degree of distortion of this flange section varies with dimensionaldiflerences in the glass height, etc., and the precise point ofeffective sealing area or actual contact between the sealing element andthe glass also varies as the torque applied to the cap is increased. Inany event, hermetic sealing is obtained at all times and the designelements are properly aligned.

Itwill be apparent from a reading of the foregoing detailed descriptionof my invention that modifications may be resorted to within the spiritand scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. In combination, a container having a mouth-defining neck terminatingin an annular rim, said neck being provided with an external continuousscrew-thread, a closure cap adapted to be telescoped over the neck andhaving a screw-thread adapted to engage the thread on the neck, thescrew-threads on said neck and closure cap having relatively bluntinterengageable ends functioning as stops to terminate rotation of thecap at a fixed point during its application to the bottle, said caphaving a top panel portion and a depending attaching skirt, an annularchannel of greater width than and adapted to overlie said rim isprovided internally of said cap, said channel including an inner sidewallspaced radially inwardly from the skirt with that surface of saidside wall facing the channel tapered toward the open end and axis ofsaid cap, and a sealing element including a flexible radial flange whichprior to cap application extends in a plane normal to the cap axis andsubstantially spans the open side of said channel, said flange beingdeflected in part into the channel incident to cap application andhaving sealing contact with both said rim and a portion of the interiorsurface of said neck.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the closure cap panel isprovided with an internal central recess and the sealing elementincluudes an attaching button carrying said fiange and frictionally heldin the recess.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the sealing element isgenerally hat-shaped with a dished button-like central part forattachment to the cap panel and a radial flange encircles said centralpart.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the closure cap andbottle each carry exterior decorating matter and the interengagement ofthe screw-thread ends effect longitudinal alignment of the decorativematter on the cap and bottle body.

5. The combination according to claim 2 wherein the button-like centralportion is provided with a peripheral:

wall frictionally engaging the Wall defining said recess.

6. The combintaion according to claim 5 wherein the recess is providedwith an undercut annular wall for holding engagement with said peripheryof the button.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,716,504 8/55Martin 2l540 2,734,651 2/56 Lindstrom 215-40 2,989,204 6/61 Marx et a1.215-40 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

FMNKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION, A CONTAINER HAVING A MOUTH-DEFINING NECK TERMINATINGIN AN ANNULAR RIM, SAID NECK BEING PROVIDED WITH AN EXTERNAL CONTINUOUSSCREW-THREAD, A CLOSURE CAP ADAPTED TO BE TELESCOPED OVER THE NECK ANDHAVING A SCREW-THREAD ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE THREAD ON THE NECK, THESCREW-THREADS ON SAID NECK AND CLOSURE CAP HAVING RELATIVELY BLUNTINTERENGAGEABLE ENDS FUNCTIONING AS STOPS TO TERMINATE ROTATION OF THECAP AT A FIXED POINT DURING ITS APPLICATION TO THE BOTTLE, SAID CAPHAVING A TOP PANEL PORTION AND A DEPENDING ATTACHING SKIRT, AN ANNULARCHANNEL OF GREATER WIDTH THAN AND ADAPTED TO OVERLIE SAID RIM ISPROVIDED INTERNALLY OF SAID CAP, SAID CHANNEL INCLUDING AN INNER SIDEWALL SPACED RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM THE SKIRT WITH THAT SURFACE OF SAIDSIDE WALL FACING THE CHANNEL TAPERED TOWARD THE OPEN END AND AXIS OFSAID CAP, AND A SEALING ELEMENT INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE RADIAL FLANGE WHICHPRIOR TO CAP APPLICATION EXTENDS IN A PLANE NORMAL TO THE CAP AXIS ANDSUBSTANTIALLY SPANS THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID CHANNEL, SAID FLANGE BEINGDEFLECTED IN PART INTO THE CHANNEL INCIDENT TO CAP APPLICATION ANDHAVING SEALING CONTACT WITH BOTH SAID RIM AND A PORTION OF THE INTERIORSURFACE OF SAID NECK.